Megaphone



G. C. MASON.

MEGAPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.9. 191s.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

UNITED sTArEsPArrNr orrics.

GEORGE O. MASON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, AS-SIGNOR TO FRANK D.SPOTSWOOD, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

MEGAPHONE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A 10 1920 Application filedDecember 9, 1919. Serial No. 343,449.

To all 107a om it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. MASON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield in the county of Hampden and State of lassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMegaphones, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys and more particularly to a novel form ofmegaphone designed to afford a source of amusement for children andothers using the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple andinexpensive device of the character described including a tubular memberor megaphone, the outer end of which is provided with a display plate orcard having a comical or grotesque figure stamped, printed, or otherwiserepresented thereon so that when a person talks or sings through themegaphone the sound will apparently issue from the mouth of the figureon said display card.

The invention further aims to provide novel means for retaining thedisplay card in position on the large end of the megaphone, and meansfor preventing rearward longitudinal movement of the card with respectthereto.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefliciency.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a megaphone constructed in accordancewith the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 andlooking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a modified form of theinvention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The improved toy forming the subjectmatter of the present inventioncomprises a tubular body or megaphone 5 formed of cardboard, metal orother suitable material and preferably conical in shape, as shown, so asto produce a mouthpiece 6 at one end thereof.

Disposed at the large end of the tubular body 5 is a display plate orcard 7 of any desired marginal shape or configuration and havingprinted, stamped or otherwise represented on the outer face thereof acomical or grotesque face, there being an opening 8 formed in the plateand corresponding to the mouth of the figure repre sented thereon. Thedisplay card 7'is preferably stamped or otherwise formed with oppositelydisposed lugs 7 representing ears, or ifdesired these lugs may bedispensed with and the periphery of the plate may be round, square orany other desired shape. The opening 8 is preferably slightly smallerthan the diameter of the large end of the body portion 5 so that whenthe plate is inserted over the small end of the body 5 and moved in thedirection of the large end thereof the plate 7 will frictionally engagethe walls of the body 5 and prevent forward or outward longitudinalmovement of the plate with respect to said body. As a means forpreventing rearward movement of the plate on the tubular body 5 there isprovided an attaching member 9 preferably in the form of a strip ofgummed tape, one end of which is secured to the rear face of the displaycard 7, while the other end there of is extended forwardly between thewall of the opening 8 and the outer wall of the body 5 and thencedownwardly over the outer edge of the body 5, as indicated at 10, withits terminal'extended withinsaid body and pasted or otherwise securedthereto, as indicated at 11. It will thus be seen that owing to the factthat the opening 8 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the largeendof the body or megaphone 5 forward or outward movement of the plateon said body is prevented while inner or rearward longitudinal movementof the plate with respect to the body 5 is prevented by the attachingmember or tape 9. The outer face of the plate 7 is preferably spacedinwardly a short distance from the outer or large end of the tubularbody 5 so that a 10s portion of the tape will bear against the outerwall of the body 5 at the point 12 and thus assist in securing thedisplay plate or card 7 against accidental displacement. It

will here be noted that the opening 8 not 105 only receives the largeend of the tubular member or megaphone 5 but owing to the fact that thewalls of the opening entirely 4 encircle the outer walls of themegaphone,

the plate 7 in which the opening is formed 110 serves to assist inpreventing expansion of the large end of the megaphone. It will thus beseen that when a person talks or sings in the megaphone 5 the sound willapparently issue from the mouth of the figure on the display plate orcard thus affording a source of amusement for children and others usingthe same.

In Fig. at of the drawings, there is illustrated a modified form of theinvention in which the tubular body or megaphone is cut or otherwiseformed with a plurality of locking tongues 12 adapted to be bentlaterally into engagement with the rear face of the plate 7- for thepurpose of preventing rearward movement of said plate on the tubularbody. If desired the plate 7 may have printed or stamped thereon. theface or body of an animal.

The device is particularly adaptable for use at carnivals, fairs andsimilar celebrations and may be readily supported in the mouth and, usedas an ordinary megaphone. if desired, the display plate or card 7 may beattached to a horn and the walls of the tubular body portion 5 insteadof being taperod or inclined as shown, may be straight. It will also beunderstood that the devices may be made in different sizes and shapesand embellished in any suitable manner to the same a neat attractiveappearance.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A toy including a tubular body portion, a display device mounted onone end thereof and having an opening therein for the reception of saidbody portion, and means for preventing movement of the display devicelongitudinally of the body portion.

2. A toy including a tubular body portion, a display card mounted on oneend thereof, and an attaching member having one end thereof secured toone face of the card and its other end fastened to the interior of saidtubular member.

3. A toy including a frusto conical tubular member, a display devicehaving an opening formed therein, the walls of which frictionally engagethe outer wall of the tubular member at the large end thereof forpreventing forward movement of the display device on said member, andmeans for positively preventing rearward movement of the display deviceon the tubular member.

4;. A toy including a frusto conical tubular member, a display cardhaving an opening formed therein for the reception of the large end ofthe tubular member, the outer surface of the card having a facerepresented thereon, the mouth of which corresponds to the opening insaid plate, and an attaching member secured to the rear surface of theplate and to the interior wall of the tuhular member. 7

5. A toy including a frusto conical tubulg; member, a display cardhaving an opening therein for the reception of the large 0311 of saidmember and having its outer is e spaced inwardly from the adjacent end oi:' said member, and an attaching inen'iher having one end thereofsecured to one face oi the display card and its other end extended, overand in contact with the outer wall of the tubular member and thencedownwardly in contact with the large end of said member and inwardly forengagemei'it with the inner wall of said member.

QL toy including a frusto conical tubular niemberia display card mountedon the large end of the member and having a comical face printedthereon, there being lugs extending laterally from the card andconstituting cars, and an opening formed in card and constituting amonth, said iing receiving the large end of the tubud member, and astrip of gummed tape ing one end thereof secured to the rear of the cardand its other end extended through the opening in said card and thenceever the large end of the tubular member and attached to the inner wallof said memher.

In testimony whereof I a'l'lix my signature.

enonen c. MASON. as]

aid

